LinkedIn has hit the 10 million-user mark in the UK. Great. What does it mean for you? Well depending on who you want to target it could mean a number of things.

This magic 10 million-user mark is supposed to represent four out of five business professionals in the UK. Excellent. I really value LinkedIn for a number of reasons but obviously it depends on your business. So if you're not sure, ask yourself the following:

1. Do you need fellow business professionals to find you easily?

If yes, then you need to make sure your profile reflects what you're doing now – not what you did 10 years ago. LinkedIn, like any digital resource, has a search function which works on a number of factors including keywords. Therefore, if your profile has more text talking about your past than your present or future, those are the searches you will appear in. Not helpful if you're looking for a new job or clients for your current role.

2. Is business development part of your role?

Trust is a hugely important factor when it comes to being a successful business development professional. Be strategic about which groups you join and use them to get in front of the right people. Always check the group statistics before you begin and allocate time to invest in engaging with the group after joining (be prepared to leave a group if it's not working out).

Groups are a great way for you to show your expertise, link back to your own content across the web and build relationships with the right people. Not only that, if you have company events this is a great way to invite new and relevant delegates.

3. How up to date is your Rolodex?

LinkedIn helps you keep track of former clients, colleagues and collaborators without having to worry about updating email addresses and phone numbers. Business cards are great but as the pace of change in the job market continues, it's invaluable to have a resource that keeps track of your contacts for you.

4. Are you the face of your organisation?

I would argue that all of your employees are the "face" of your organisation. However, some faces are always more visible than others. If part of your role involves public speaking, sitting on non executive boards, networking at key industry events then you would benefit from having a LinkedIn profile that showcases a bit of that personality.

The principles of networking are just as important for online networking as they are for face-to-face interaction. That old cliche of "people buy people" still holds. You may meet at sector specific events and kick off conversations talking about business but you build relationships when you find common interests and beliefs.

Update your profile with apps which can display recent SlideShare presentations, reading lists, personal blogposts and even video clips of conference appearances. Having a well-rounded profile with a bit of personality will help you stand out against more traditional profiles and also back up your experience claims with tangible examples.

And that's just for individuals. There are many more opportunities when it comes to organisations and their own LinkedIn profiles.

Like any other social network, it's important to evaluate why you want to be there. If you answer no to any of the above then fine, maybe LinkedIn isn't that important to you. However, at the very least you may be job hunting one day in the future and it is better to have a profile to be proud of with useful contacts than one which is thrown up the day before your CV goes to market.

So, how do you use LinkedIn? Do you find it important for your business? If you want to know more you can sign up to the Guardian's Media Academy seminar on using LinkedIn for your business which takes place on 24 September. I may be biased as I'll be running the course but it will be an excellent way to take your use of LinkedIn to the next level. Hope to see you there.